The present invention relates to a novel process for producing 1,1-diphenylalkenes, and more in detail the present invention relates to a process for producing 1,1-diphenylalkenes comprising contacting lead peroxide with the corresponding 1,1-diphenylalkanes, thereby obtaining directly 1,1-diphenylalkenes without passing through the state of a 1,1-diphenylketone.
Although the 1,1-diphenylalkenes as the object compounds of the present invention are important as dyestuffs and as the starting materials for the dyestuffs of the more complicated structure, it has been necessary hitherto for obtaining 1,1-diphenylalkenes to synthesize 1,1-diphenylalkenes via a 1,1-diphenylketone by a Grignard reaction or by a Wittig reaction. In either case, it has been inevitable to adopt a process in which the presence of water or moisture is extremely detrimental and accordingly, it has been difficult to industrially form the 1,1-diphenylalkenes, and a more inexpensive industrial process for producing the 1,1-diphenylalkenes has been keenly demanded.
The present invention offers an inexpensive process for producing the 1,1-diphenylalkenes complying with the above-mentioned object.